Anger over plans for bread oven in Glasgow park

Angus Howarth

A plan by an art graduate to install a communal bread oven in a central Glasgow Park has been delayed after local residents expressed anger over the move.

Eleanora Jaroszynska first conceived of the idea for a bread oven in Garnethill Park as part of the Glasgow School of Art’s recent degree show.

The oven, which is pitched as being a communal space where local residents can bring dough to be baked, was made partly from recycled materials from the school’s Mackintosh building, which was damaged by a severe fire three years ago.

Teaming up with “Friends of Garnethill Green Spaces”, Ms Jaroszynska raised over £500 in an online crowdfunder to make the oven permanent.

However a fiery open meeting has led to even some of the oven’s most vocal backers to advocate a pause in proceedings.

A post on the Garnethill Bread Oven Facebook said: “At last Friday’s meeting in the park, we managed to come to a compromise as there were some strong opinions voiced.

“The oven’s construction will now be put on hold until September. The oven will be moved further to the left in the park and will be smaller.”

It is believed that among the concerns raised was the lack of open green space available already in the park, an issue which a larger oven could potentially exacerbate.

However the oven’s backers would doubtless point to a series of open events with a temporary oven, which were well received.